St John's Gospel collects third stakes victory

St John's Gospel looked so good on paper that bettors pounded him down to 1-10 in a field of eight 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred and Pennsylvania-sired sprinters. Then he proceeded to justify that support by running down pacesetter Count the Gold and drawing off to a 1 3/4-length victory in Friday night's Power by Far Stakes at Penn National.

The $100,000 Power by Far was the richest of four stakes on a card with a track-record $418,000 worth of purses.

Ridden by regular rider Hector Ramos for trainer Andrea Gonzalez, St John's Gospel ($2.20) was one of just two multiple winners in a field that included three maidens. He completed six furlongs on a track rated good in 1:12.36 for his fourth win in nine starts overall. He previously won the Pennsylvania Nursery at Philadelphia Park and the Private Terms against open company at Laurel Park.

Jockey David Cohen came close to sweeping the other three stakes on the card. Cohen guided Acting Zippy ($3.60) to his third consecutive stakes victory with a a half-length score in the $60,000 Changing Times, an open race for older sprinters, and upset the $75,000, 1 1/16-mile Nepal when Serene Harbor ($29.40) got up by a neck over 7-5 favorite Joey Carson.

Cohen also finished second aboard Speechifying, finishing a length behind his Steve Klesaris-trained stablemate Coastal Solace ($4.40), who went wire to wire under Anna Napravnik in the off-the-turf $75,000 Robellino at 1 1/16 miles.